Intertek, a leading total quality assurance provider to industries worldwide, has awarded Almarai Company, Middle East's leading food and beverage manufacturer and distributor, the ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management Systems. The certification has been obtained for all Almarai's operations in Saudi Arabia through a series of multi-site certification audits across its various subsidiaries and facilities in the Kingdom. The Intertek ISO 9001 certificate is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Intertek has collaborated with Almarai for the certification since 2018, when it began an extensive audit process which involved numerous production facilities and subsidiaries. As one of the world's largest dairy companies and the world's largest vertically integrated producer, Almarai controls all facets of the production process from crop production and dairy farming to manufacturing, processing and packing. The vertical integration requires Almarai's stringent quality standards to be met at every stage of the production, and the Quality Management Systems to be put in place across all operations. Phil Clarke, Almarai's Head of Quality, said: "At the heart of Almarai's success is the trust earned over 40 years for our continuous commitment to quality. Achieving this certification from Intertek, considered to be one of the most stringent international standards for Quality Management Systems, is testament to our relentless drive to implementing best-in-class quality practices. The standard provides a competitive advantage and helps ensure that customers get consistent, good quality products and services through continuous improvement. Our growth is driven by this persistent pursuit of quality, supported by a distinctive infrastructure mix that incorporates world-class farms, production operations and distribution systems." Samir Ahmed, General Manager at Intertek Business Assurance Gulf Region, said: "Almarai is an established and admired brand not just in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but throughout the Middle East. Its continued success and leadership in the market is driven by a strategic commitment to quality. The teams at corporate, divisional and group levels are highly experienced and well‐trained in quality management, which is implemented across the value chain and exceeds the minimum standard requirements of ISO 9001 within the industry." During the handover ceremony, Tariq Naeem, Group Quality Audit Manager - Quality, Regulatory, HSS & Sustainability at Almarai expressed his gratitude to Intertek: "It was not easy to plan such a highly complex multi-site certification audit for Almarai. Nevertheless, from the initial stages of our audit planning process, and by applying the risk-based Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) approach, we knew that we were in good hands, and that we made the right decision when choosing Intertek as our certification partner." — SG
